Most of our living and workspaces are made up of straight lines and right angles. Our furniture too is most often straight and rectilinear or square and most of us tend to think along these lines when it comes to sizing up a rug choice, which makes sense. Easily overlooked is how a round rug can add a ton of interest and softness to our squared-up interiors. Hopefully, these tips will help you reconsider a round rug for your space.

When to Use Round Rugs

1. If You Have a Round Room

The most straightforward and best case for using a round rug is when the architecture or a feature within the architecture of the room is curved. Pairing a circular ceiling detail, a curved set of windows or a round room with a round rug is a “more is more” approach that creates a strong harmony and an elevated look.

2. If You Have Curved Furniture

Additionally, curved furniture—such as a round dining table or coffee table, a curved sofa, or a round statement chandelier —all provide an opportunity for a round rug to complement, unify, and really make the whole room pop. In both of these situations, the rug should be centered on the round feature to create symmetry and alignment.

3. If You Have a Small Room

Round rugs are often used by designers to make a room look more spacious. The curving line causes the eye to follow in fluid movement, keeping you from feeling visually boxed in. The round rug also makes a part of the room the focal point. This is most effective in a smaller room, where the round rug creates an interesting contrast to the squared-up walls and tighter space.

Before You Begin, Measure Your Space

Round rugs are measured by the diameter, the widest part of the circle. Look at what the standard round rug sizes are and work with these sizes in mind.

Depending on the size of your room, what you want to highlight and how much floor space you want to be covered, your first move is to place your furniture in your space. Make sure you’ve considered all of your possibilities here. Once your furniture is arranged, mark the edge of the area that you’d like your rug to cover with an easy-to-remove piece of tape. You can use different-colored tape to mark the different-sized rug possibilities. This step is easy, quick and makes visualizing and measuring more accurate.

Round Rugs in the Living Room

• Use your round rug to draw attention.

If your living room is open plan or large enough to accommodate an additional furniture grouping, a 6-foot round rug can help define the space creating a vignette or focal point. Place your round rug under the furniture that you want to draw attention to.

• Let the furniture sit on the perimeter of the rug.

In an open-plan setting, a large round living room rug can define an area, creating intimacy as well as a strong design feature. Set your coffee table towards the center of the rug then let the furniture sit halfway on the perimeter of the rug, overlapping it to feature the rug and let most of it show.  

• There’s no need to put all of your furniture on the rug.

You don’t want to crowd your furniture onto the rug. Instead, let the rug sit underneath the furniture arrangement that fits the space. The furniture should straddle the edges of the rug.  See what visually works best in your space. 

Round Rugs in the Dining Room

• The larger the rug, the better.

The most important thing to consider in a dining room is to make sure the rug is large enough. You’ll want to make sure that your chairs don’t get tripped up on the rug. Chairs should move freely to and from the table. A good rule of thumb is to choose a rug that is 30 inches larger all around your table.

• A round rug could work under a square dining table too, but…

A round table centered on a round rug is visually balanced but if your table is square, just be sure that the round rug is large enough so that the shapes don’t clash. Again, at least 30 inches all around the table is preferred but a larger round rug would benefit the two shapes playing off of each other. See how large you can go with your space. 

• Keep the rug away from the walls.

The round dining room rug will also look best if it floats in the space, not touching the walls.

Round Rugs in the Bedroom

Using a round rug to provide a soft spot to land on either side of the bed adds a stylish and cozy touch to a bedroom. In all cases, the rug should sit close to the bed, with the bed overlapping the rug by about 6 to 12 inches.

• If you have a twin, full, or queen bed, a small, 3-foot diameter rug on either side of the bed works nicely. 

• If your bed is king, you might want to bump up the size of the rugs to 4 feet for better proportions. Set the rug about ⅓ under the bed so you land on the fullest part of the rug. 

• You may instead decide to go with one large rug. In this case, try a large 8-foot round rug under a queen or king-size bed. Scoot the rug down so the rug is centered under the bed and gives a soft place to land on the sides and the foot of the bed. 

Round Rugs in the Nursery, Kids’ Room, or Playroom

Round rugs make for a sweet play spot in a nursery, kids’ room or playroom. Here are a few tips to consider:

• For the kids’ room or playroom, opt for a big one.

Make sure the rug is large enough to fit your kiddos, their toys, books etc. and with enough room to spread out. Once the toys are cleared away, the rug makes a nice design feature in the space and a plush spot for chilling out.

• For the nursery, keep it small.

In the nursery, a round rug is a pretty accent to the crib or a comfortable chair for feeding, reading, and bonding with your baby. This rug doesn’t need to be very large. The crib or chair should just overlap the edge of the rug with most of the rug exposed. Typically, a 4 or 5-foot rug would do the trick and be a chic addition to the room.

Other Rooms to Place Your Round Rug

1. Entryway

A round rug would be a welcome design feature to a wide entryway and set the tone for the rest of the home. Paired with a console table, it creates a space to land and to stash your keys or bag.

2.  Breakfast Nook

A breakfast nook is a naturally intimate setting. A round rug defines the area and reinforces the feeling of intimacy, creating a cozy setting for dining.

3. Bathroom 

In a roomy bathroom, a round rug would complete the space nicely and serve as a warm and soft surface underfoot between bathing and vanity areas.

4.  Over Another Rug 

Using a round rug as a layering piece over a carpet or accent rug is an easy way to add interest and a pop of color or pattern to your space.